Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-m8qmq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T07:37:35.024Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Delineation and Measurement of Study Difficulty in University Students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Sidney Crown ,
C. J. Lucas  and
S. Supramaniam
Sidney Crown
Affiliation:
The London Hospital, E.1
C. J. Lucas
Affiliation:
University College London Health Centre, Gower Place, W.C.1
S. Supramaniam
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University College, London
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Psychiatric disturbances in a student population span a broad spectrum and include overt illness, a heterogeneous group of psychosocial problems with varied and changing symptomatology and normal crises of development. Complaints of work difficulty often form part of the symptomatology of all these groups, and not infrequently may be the presenting symptom. Quantification is difficult because the symptoms vary in degree and form, and change over time. They may be unreported or voiced only to friends or tutors. Their prevalence and significance is therefore hard to assess. In a cohort study spanning a four year period, Lucas (unpublished data) found that of the 15 per cent of the cohort who received brief psychotherapy, more than three-quarters had a work difficulty of some kind. Of the 26 per cent of the cohort who never attended the Student Health Centre nearly half replied ‘yes' to a question asking whether they had experienced recurring work difficulty.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 123 , Issue 575 , October 1973 , pp. 381 - 393
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1973 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Blaine, G. B., and McArthur, C. C. (1971). Emotional Problems of the Student. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts; London: Butterworth.Google Scholar
Brown, W. F., and Holzman, W. H. (1955). Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes. New York: The Psychological Corporation.Google Scholar
Crown, S. (1972). ‘The Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire (MHQ,) in clinical research: a review’, in Psychological Measurement (ed. Pichot, P.). Basle: Karger. To appear.Google Scholar
Crown, S. and Crisp, A. H. (1966). ‘A short clinical self-rating scale for psychoneurotic patients.’ Brit. J. Psychiatry, 112, 917–23.Google Scholar
Entwistle, N.J., and Brennan, T. (1971). ‘The academic performance of students.’ Brit. J. Educational Psychol., 41, 268–76.Google Scholar
Entwistle, N.J., and Brennan, T., Nisbet, J., Entwistle, D., and Cowell, M. D. (1971). ‘The academic performance of students.’ Brit. J. Educational Psychol., 41, 258–67.Google Scholar
Entwistle, N.J. and Entwistle, D. (1970). ‘The relationships between personality, study methods and academic performance.’ Brit. J. Educational Psychol., 40, 132–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Furneaux, W. D. (1962). ‘The psychologist and the university.’ Universities Quarterly, 17, 33–47.Google Scholar
Grygier, T. (1970). The Dynamic Personality Inventory. London: National Foundation for Educational Research.Google Scholar
Harris, D. H. (1961). Emotional Blocks to Learning. New York: The Free Press; London: Collier-Macmillan Ltd. Google Scholar
Lucas, C. J., and Stringer, P. (1972). ‘Interaction in university selection, mental health and academic performance.’ Brit. J. Psychiatry, 120, 189–95.Google Scholar
Malleson, N. B. (1965). A Handbook on British Student Health Services. London: Pitman.Google Scholar
Malleson, N. B. (1957). ‘Treatment of pre-examination stress.’ B.M.J., 2, 551–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Malleson, N. B. (1960). ‘University students, 1953.’ Universities Quarterly, 15, 54–63.Google Scholar
Marris, P. (1964). The Experience of Higher Education. London: Routledge and Kegal Paul.Google Scholar
Miller, G. W. (1970). Success, Failure Sand Wastage in Higher Education. London: George Harrap.Google Scholar
Ryle, A. (1969). Student Casualties. London: Allen Lane.Google Scholar
Sexton, V. S. (1965). ‘Factors contributing to attrition in college populations: twenty-five years of research.’ J. General Psychol., 72, 301–26.Google Scholar
Siegel, S. (1956). Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioural Sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Wankowski, J. (1968). ‘Some aspects of motivation in success and failure at university.’ Soc. for Research in Higher Ed., Fourth Annual Conference, London.Google Scholar
Young, J. P. R., Fenton, G. W., and Lader, M. H. (1971). ‘The inheritance of neurotic traits: a twin study of the Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire.’ Brit. J. Psychiatry, 119, 393–8.Google Scholar
Zinberg, D. (1971). ‘The widening gap: attitudes of first year students and staff towards chemistry, science, careers and commitment.’ Science Studies, 1, 287–313.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.